Last Updated: 22 Feb 2022

9 Ball Pool

I developed a multiplayer 9-ball pool game with multiple levels using Unity. The game provides an immersive experience with realistic physics, smooth multiplayer gameplay, and progressively challenging levels. Players can enjoy competitive matches with friends or random opponents, aiming to clear the table in the fewest shots.

Challenges

Developing a multiplayer pool game came with several technical and design challenges that needed to be carefully addressed to ensure a smooth and engaging player experience. Synchronizing real-time matches across multiple devices was crucial, as even slight lag could disrupt gameplay. Additionally, implementing realistic ball physics required precise calculations to accurately simulate collisions, spins, and rebounds.

Ensuring smooth and accurate synchronization of game data (e.g., ball positions, player turns) across multiple devices was a challenge, as slight lag could disrupt the gameplay.
Accurately simulating the behavior of the pool balls, including collisions, spins, and rebounds, was complex, especially when considering various surface interactions.
Creating multiple levels with varying difficulties while keeping the game engaging for all players was tricky. The challenge was to design levels that felt rewarding but still offered a challenge.
With multiple players in each match, ensuring stability and performance, especially when handling large amounts of data (e.g., multiple player actions and ball movements), was a challenge.

Solutions

To create an engaging and smooth multiplayer pool game, I focused on optimizing various aspects of gameplay, from real-time synchronization to realistic physics and performance efficiency. Ensuring that player actions were accurately reflected in online matches, refining ball physics for a lifelike experience, and designing levels with a balanced difficulty curve were all critical components. Additionally, maintaining game stability while handling multiple players and real-time interactions required strategic optimizations. By addressing these key areas, I was able to deliver a seamless and immersive gaming experience.

To ensure seamless multiplayer synchronization, I integrated Photon Networking in Unity. By optimizing data transmission and reducing unnecessary updates, I minimized lag and ensured that each player's moves were accurately reflected across all devices in real-time. This approach significantly improved the overall gameplay experience, making online matches smooth and responsive.

For realistic ball physics, I leveraged Unity’s built-in physics engine, carefully fine-tuning mass, friction, and bounce settings to achieve lifelike movement. This ensured that ball collisions, spins, and rebounds behaved naturally, enhancing the authenticity of the gameplay. Additionally, I implemented progressive difficulty by adjusting table layouts, ball positions, and adding unique challenges at each level, keeping players engaged as they advanced.

To maintain stability with multiple players, I optimized the game’s code by reducing unnecessary updates, utilizing object pooling, and implementing efficient data management techniques. These optimizations helped prevent performance drops, ensuring that the game ran smoothly even when handling complex player interactions and high data loads in real-time multiplayer matches.